What's the latest theatre to close or open you have heard about?

[Martin McCaffery]

Set up your checklist for the coming year...

https://www.al.com/life/2026/02/popu...locations.html

Popular movie chain plans to keep closing locations

• Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

• Updated: Feb. 28, 2026, 4:39 p.m.
• Published: Feb. 28, 2026, 3:18 p.m.

A major movie chain with theaters throughout Alabama anticipates closing more “underperforming locations,” a top executive has said.

The news emerged in a webcast detailing fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings for AMC Entertainment Holdings. AMC is the world’s largest theater chain, with more than 850 locations.

Alabama cities with AMC theaters include Montgomery, Birmingham, Vestavia Hills, Cullman, Daphne, Decatur, Dothan, Florence, Huntsville, Mobile, Opelika, Orange Beach and Prattville.

Sean Goodman, AMC’s chief financial officer, told investors during the webcast that since 2020, the company has closed 213 locations and opened 65 new ones. In 2025 it closed 21 theaters and opened three, he said. It will continue closing locations that don’t meet goals, he said.

“The ongoing reshaping of our footprint reflects our commitment to improve asset productivity, expand margins, and position AMC for sustainable long-term growth,” Goodman said.

The company has not given any indication which theaters are at risk of being closed. In March 2025 it closed the Alabama Classic Lee Branch 15 in Birmingham, and in early February it closed the AMC Classic Auburn 14.

Overall, Goodman and AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron presented a picture of a company that is methodically rebounding from hard times.

“Simply put, at AMC we continue to do exactly what we said we would do,” said Aron. “Take decisive action for AMC Entertainment to fortify our financial foundation, to bolster our tax reserves and enhance our flexibility.”

Aron said that AMC “finished 2025 with all‑time per‑patron records in admissions revenue, food and beverage revenue, and total revenue, for both the fourth quarter and the full year.” The “contribution margin per patron” also set quarterly and annual records, he said.

Aron said that hopes were high for 2026, based on a slate of likely blockbusters including “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “Avengers: Doomsday,” a live-action “Moana,” “Dune: Part Three” and “The Odyssey.”

[Martin McCaffery]

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-05-12/cinerama-dome-movie-theater-possible-reopening-near-future

Cinerama Dome takes a likely step toward reopening ‘in the near future’

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) May 12, 2026
A city hearing concerning on-site alcohol sales provided the public a chance to air their opinions on the possible reopening of the Cinerama Dome and ArcLight Hollywood on Tuesday morning.

Though a final letter of determination is still to be issued, Tim Fargo, the associate zoning administrator in charge of Tuesday’s meeting, said he was “inclined to approve” the conditional-use permit under consideration. The permit would cover the Cinerama Dome, 14 adjacent auditoriums and a restaurant café with two outdoor spaces.

The Dome closed in March 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and in April 2021 it was announced that the venue would not be reopening. Film lovers in Los Angeles and around the world have since been hopeful the venue, seen by many as a symbol for Hollywood itself, could reopen.

During the meeting, Elizabeth Peterson-Gower, a land use consultant representing the owner and applicant Dome Center LLC, was asked if there was a timeline for reopening the theaters. She responded, “I too don’t have a schedule yet, but when I do, I’ll convey it to you.”

In a separate phone interview following the meeting Tuesday, Peterson-Gower referred to the approval of the conditional-use permit as a “milestone” in the process of reopening the theaters and added that ownership has noted the intense public interest around the Dome and the ArcLight and that “it will inspire a time frame in the near future.”

Throughout the meeting, Peterson-Gower referred to the success of the Blue Note jazz club that opened on a corner of the property in August 2025.

“What it proves to me is that the ownership cares greatly,” Peterson-Gower said after the meeting. “That’s a big undertaking and a big statement in favor of the fact that ownership care what’s there.”

Numerous other voices were heard throughout the hearing as well. Ted Walker, planning deputy for Council District 13, where the theater is located, said, “Too often we see [historic-cultural monuments] around our city sitting vacant. So we’re very supportive of anything to bring some life back into this. We know there’s a lot of love for the Cinerama Dome and we want to acknowledge the work of all the community members who are advocating for it. We believe resuming these operations will further enhance the vibrancy of Hollywood.”

Burbank City Council member Konstantine Anthony noted that he was a former usher at the Dome and also voiced support for the reopening.

More than 30 people provided public comment. Among those were Kat Kramer, daughter of filmmaker Stanley Kramer, director of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” the very first film to play in the Dome in 1963, film critic Wade Major and Ben Steinberg, who has led a grassroots campaign to get the venue reopened.

The Blue Note Jazz Club undergoes construction near the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles
The Blue Note Jazz Club undergoes construction near the Cinerama Dome on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Los Angeles.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
One commenter said, “Why have they kept it closed? Is this just a strategy to let it rot so that they can get building violations and just tear it down and build condos? There’s a lot of fear about what’s going to happen with this thing that people feel attached to. And to not answer questions over all this time has frankly been offensive.”

Another commenter said that the delays in reopening feel like ownership “keeping a bit of our heritage hostage from us.”

Even those who were asking for clear specifics from ownership were nearly all in favor of granting the conditional-use permit, which was the ostensible purpose of the meeting. As local preservation advocate Kim Cooper said, “I know that this has been hard and it has seemed like the citizens versus the ownership — that’s not what it is. People want to come together and help and bring this place back.”

Speaking after the meeting, Peterson-Gower noted her own history with the Dome, having been involved with many events there in the late ’80s and early ’90s when she was vice president of the Hollywood Athletic Club, located just a few blocks away on Sunset Boulevard.

“Everyone has a story about the Dome that’s lived here, even me,” she added. “I didn’t want to bring my personal life into the hearing, but I care passionately as well about it opening.”

While the final outcome of the hearing is still to be fully determined, all signs point to the permit being granted and the project being free to move forward.

“I was overwhelmingly pleased with the comments,” said Peterson-Gower. “I think that it shows that there’s a great historic use in a historic property and I think that people care passionately about it operating and are very, very proud of the property being here in Hollywood.”

[Mike Blakesley]

The movie theater in Laurel, MT held a "clean-out" sale last weekend. It had been closed for awhile.

It first opened as a 3-screen theater with coffee/sandwich shop attached and seemed to be pretty popular. It was called The Vue and Brew.

Within a few years they were down to two screens, and then just one....I don't know, but I'm assuming projectors were giving out and they couldn't afford to fix them.

In the spring of 2024 they stated they were going to stop showing first-run movies because the community support wasn't enough to sustain it. I think they just never really fully recovered from the Covid pandemic.

Last year the name was changed to "First On First" and the place was re-imagined as a vendor-supported variety store, where they would rent out spaces and host sale events on weekends, and planned to play movies for the kids now and then if sponsors could be found. A matinee series that summer was sponsored by local businesses, but of course you can't expect businesses to keep paying and paying, so that plan didn't work out. I'm not sure how successful the vendor-sale weekends were.

Finally they announced a couple months ago they were selling everything and ending the venture. A pretty sad development considering they are in a town of over 5,000 people.

For decades before The Vue and Brew, Laurel had a two-screen theatre called the Laurel Movie Haus. It was a cool place with a German theme. It was owned by an older couple. It burned down due to an electrical fire, and the couple decided to retire rather than rebuild. The town was without a theater for several years, until somebody decided to retrofit an old grocery store building into the three-screen venue that eventually became The Vue and Brew.

The unfortunate thing is, Laurel is only about 10 minutes from Billings, which has 24 AMC screens (including a Big-D and a LieMax) and 3 art-house screens.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

I went in there one night and offered my services, but they said they couldn't afford regular service. This was about 6 months after it opened. So I don't think they ever did very much business there... I always wondered how Roman Theater in Red Lodge survived, but they seemed to get pretty good crowds from time to time, plus the operator had three flavors of popcorn. Then he retired and the owners of the building took it over. The theater appears to be showing movies and doing some plays these days.

[Mike Blakesley]

Yeah, the Roman has a similar schedule to us...one show each night plus a matinee on Sunday.

[Leo Enticknap]

Source

One of Southern California’s most luxurious movie theaters abruptly closes after 35 years

By Katie Jerkovich

Published June 6, 2026, 1:56 p.m. PT

The show is officially over for one of Southern California’s most luxurious movie theaters after the company announced its closing the iPic theater in Pasadena after 35 years.

The high-end movie chain said as part of the bankruptcy restructuring, the theater will close its doors for good, after previously vowing that the popcorn would keep popping.

“As part of our Chapter 11 restructuring IPIC Theaters made the difficult decision to close our Pasadena location on Wednesday, June 3, 2026,” the press release read.

“It has been an honor to serve our guests and IPIC ACCESS Members and we are incredibly grateful for your patronage.”

Guests were then invited to enjoy a free movie and menu item one last time before the final credits rolled on Wednesday night.

Originally opening in 2010, the iPic theater in Old Town Pasadena was part of the One Colorado shopping center project.

It offered movie lovers plush recliners, craft cocktails and full-service dining.

At one point, the company boasted eight restaurant locations and 100 screens across 13 theaters in states including California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Washington.

The chain carved out prime real estate in LA and Manhattan, including a Westwood complex on Wilshire Boulevard and a location at South Street Seaport in NY.

In March, the cinema operator quietly filed for Chapter 11 protection plotting a court-supervised sale of its assets while promising to keep the lights on during what it called an “expedited” fire-sale process.

Behind the scenes, all employees were slapped with WARN notices as the company braced for potential layoffs.

As part of the restructuring, Cinemex Holding USA, Inc. will operate the iPic theater locations in Florida, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, and New Jersey, per the release.

Meanwhile, Blue Fox Theater acquired and will run operations for iPic Fulton Market in New York City and the Westwood location in LA, rebranding the iPic theater into The Cinemas.

There will be a few other changes with the Blue Fox acquisitions, with in-theater dining ending and instead the company offering premium concessions “featuring elevated food and beverage offerings,” while “creating elevated moviegoing experiences for audiences,” Blue Fox Entertainment Group founder James Huntsman said in a press release.

The Pasadena location wasn’t the only theater that closed its doors for good, in April the iPic in Redmond, Washington, turned off the lights.

This marks iPic’s second trip through bankruptcy court after a 2019 filing.

CEO Patrick Quinn said the company determined that a court-supervised asset sale is “in the best interest” of stakeholders after weighing its options.

He insisted operations will continue with “minimal impact” as execs push what they hope will be a smooth restructuring — and a shot at returning to the luxury-theater game once the credits roll on this latest financial drama.

[Martin McCaffery]

With a shout out to Steve Kraus

A Home Away from Home: Goodbye to the Lake Street Screening Room
Richard Roeper

https://www.rogerebert.com/features/...screening-room

[Frank Cox]

Lacombe City Cinemas in Lacombe Alberta will be closing on Sept 4.

https://www.lacombecitycinemas.ca/

[Martin Brooks]

Source

The iPic on Fulton Street in NYC closed as an iPic theater on June 4th, but quickly reopened as "The Cinemas Fulton Street 8".

It's been two years since any NYC theaters have closed. I've actually been surprised that they've all survived.

[Buck Wilson]

(Regal) Hollywood Theaters Northstar 14 in Joplin MO closed 8/20/2026. B&B opened a 7 screen location in August of 2025 that just killed the Northstar's business.

Regal Northstar theaters close in Joplin | Joplin News First | koamnewsnow.com

image.png


" JOPLIN, Mo. (KOAM/KJFX) — Joplin’s longtime movie complex closes permanently.

“Thank you! It has been our pleasure to serve you at this theatre. Regal Northstar is now closed. We invite you to visit Regal Forum (Rolla) Regal Broken Arrow (Tulsa) or any of our other locations.”

— REGAL

And with that the last showings were Thursday evening August 20, 2026.

Regal Theaters purchased the former Hollywood Theaters chain and took over the lease of Joplin’s Hollywood Northstar Complex in 2013. Since then Regal never remodeled or took the name “Hollywood Theaters” from the building facade.

The 10.3 acre property is owned by CBL Northpark Mall.

Regal is not going anywhere soon. The UK-based company continues to operate nearly 400 U.S. locations with more than 5,300 screens. They produce about 15% of movie ticket sales annually.

This closing leaves the following theaters in the immediate area:

• B&B Theatre Complex at 32nd St and Hammons Blvd in Joplin
• Route 66 Movie Theater in Webb City
• 66 Drive-In Theatre in Carthage
• B&B Theatre Complex in Neosho
• Meadowbrook 8 Theaters in Pittsburg

Pittsburg's Meadowbrook Mall's AMC theaters closed in May but last week they reopened under new ownership and are showing now. Meadowbrook 8 Theaters can be found online here. "
"

[Martin Brooks]

AMC announced that the Kips Bay 15, which opened in May of 1999 and added an IMAX (digital) screen in March of 2010, will be closing by the end of the year. AMC did not want to close the theater - their landlord terminated their lease (early). I hope AMC's lease had a provision that they get paid well if the lease was terminated before expiration. Rumors are that the NYU Medical Center is going to build a facility on the site.
That will leave the east side of Manhattan above 14th street with only three movie theaters: the Loew's 19th Street East 6, the Cinema 1-2-3 on 3rd Avenue and 60th street and the AMC Orpheum VII on Third Avenue just north of 86th street.

[Mark Ogden]

The Cinema 1-2-3 is probably not long for this world as the building that houses it is up for sale. I can't imagine that the new owner would keep the theaters.

The Kips Bay 15 was originally opened by Loews and at one time it had the largest screen in town, 83' in 'scope, wider by 14' than the sheet at the Ziegfeld. It was built in anticipation of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but then a shitstorm happened between Loews and Fox. Since the early days of exhibition, it was understood that theaters in NYC did NOT pay minimum floor fees, the deal was percentage only, 90% or whatever was negotiated. Fox wanted to change that, and demanded a floor minimum from Loews for the scheduled runs at the Kips Bay and the Lincoln Square, which was unprecedented for New York City and which Loews wasn't willing to give up. They did cut a deal for the Astor Plaza, but it never ran at any of Loews multiplexes. As I recall, Cineplex Odeon was at the time still independently managing some of their properties post-merger and was willing to cough up for it, and took it for the Ziegfeld and Orpheum.

[Harold Hallikainen]

https://www.phillyvoice.com/ritz-five-movie-theater-closed-fire-alarm-violation/

Ritz Five movie theater shut down indefinitely due to fire code violation

L&I says the Old City theater must install a fire alarm system with a shunt switch before it can reopen.

By Kristin Hunt
PhillyVoice Staff

Government L&I
Kristin Hunt/PhillyVoice

The city's Licenses & Inspections Department has shut down the Ritz Five movie theater, located at 214 Walnut St.


City inspectors have shut down the Ritz Five movie theater for the foreseeable future.

A cease operations notice posted on the building's front door Tuesday said the Old City theater had violated Philadelphia's fire code. The order will remain in effect until Ritz Five management obtains an electrical permit and installs an alarm system with a shunt switch, which cuts electricity to audio equipment when the alarm is triggered, throughout the building.
"Attention all customers," a separate paper taped to the entrance read. "Until further notice, we are closed and cannot serve any customers until we resolve this matter. We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience. Please consult the customer service information, or your ticket email, to get a refund."

Landmark Theatres, the parent chain of Ritz Five, has scrubbed all showtimes from its website. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


Kristin Hunt/PhillyVoice

A cease operations notice on the front entrance of the Ritz Five said the theater will remain closed until its fire alarm system has been installed.

Philadelphia property records indicate the Ritz Five had failed inspections on March 18 and Aug. 11. It has seven open violations with the Department of Licenses & Inspections.

In addition to the fire alarm citations, the theater also was fined for failing to remove curtains obstructing exit doors, renew its food license and provide documentation that all of its black curtains and wall hangings are flame retardant. It must also ensure its exit doors close and latch completely shut on their own.

Ritz Five's fire alarm certification lapsed in 2024.

[Leo Enticknap]

Interesting that Philadelphia requires that power actually be cut to audio equipment when the alarm signal is received. In all the installs and PMs I've been involved in, an automation controller sending a command to push the mute button to the audio processor (plus dowser close and house lights lights up) is enough to satisfy the regulations.

For my Q-Sys installs, I've taken to giving the customer a second GPIO Phoenix connector with the GPI for the fire alarm jumpered, so that all they need to do for their weekly test is to unplug the connector on the core that receives the actual alarm signal and plug in the jumpered connector that (in effect) sends the core a phony one.

[Tim Reed]

The Coyote Drive-In at Ft. Worth is closing next week. Lease is not being renewed because the city wants the land. Who didn't see this coming? You don't build a drive-in in the city.

The Coyote Drive-In theater in Fort Worth will close after Labor Day Weekend. The venue's final day of operation will be Monday, Sept. 7.

The venue says the closure comes as Fort Worth will begin construction of two new canals and a three-acre park where the drive-in theater currently stands.

The Tarrant Regional Water District exercised its right to terminate the drive-in's lease with construction beginning this fall.

The theater opened in 2012.

What they're saying:

"When we opened Coyote Drive-In, we hoped to create more than just a place to watch movies; we wanted to create a place where families and friends could come together and make lasting memories," said Glenn Solomon, Managing Partner of Coyote Drive-In Fort Worth. "We have been incredibly fortunate to be part of the Fort Worth community and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we are deeply grateful to the hundreds of thousands of guests who chose to spend their evenings with us over the years."